Improvement in self-lubeicating gib



geiten 'tant 'atrnt @ffice WILLIAM A. DEVON, I 0F POR'I RICHMOND, NEW YORK. Letters Patent No. 71,145, dated November 19, v1857.

IMPRGVBMBNT IN snLr-LUBRIGATING ens.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. DEVON; of Port Richmond, Richmond county, and State of New York, have invented a new and improved Gib and Self-Oiler-for the Slides of Steam Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,.reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a portion of this specification', in which-- l Figure 1 is a front View of the friction-plate and lubricatingnjoller of my improved gib. l

Figure 2 is a. side view of the same, showing the gib and friction-plate, withl an open section of the oil-cup with'its internal mechanism.

Figure 3 is a side view vof the same, showing the external appearance of the self-oiler with its slot and slides.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

This invention is designed as an improvement on steam-engine gibs and Oilers, to lessen the expense for gibs and oils, andvto lighten the labor, and prevent the decks and surroundingparts from being soiled' by the superabundance ofslack oil with which they are now drenched. Hitherto the gibs have been made of one pieceof metal, which is soon worn down one-third of its thickness by the friction on the slides, when it has to be removed and replacedby a new` one, for, il' retained in use after this, it is apt to break, causing no small amount of danger and delay. This invention obviates these dilculties by supplying .a cheaper, safer, and better gib than that now in use. v

I make it-in two parts, the gib of iron, with a friction-plate of brass, which is dove-tailed and screwed on to the gib. When the friction-plate has been worn down, the screws are removed and a new friction-plate sup- /w plied, thus saving a great expense in waste metal. The invention further consists in a certain novel device for i J oiling the slides. In the old method the head of the gib is cast hollow, with an opening in front facing the slide. 7 The hollow or cup is filled with oil every three or four hours, the oil being conveyed to the slide by means of a wick, which is inserted in the opening in the face of the gib. The result is that the cil is fed in such quanti` f ties that it cannot be used, and at every stroke of the piston it is swept over the hurricane' deck in an inky ,'f shower, or down upon the cylinder and surrounding parts of the machinery, making it an impossibility to keep" those parts clean. y

The object of this invention is to overcome the defects, and while lnbricating the slides ina perfect mann'er, to do it with the least possible waste of oil. The top of the gib is hollow, with an opening in front, from which projects a metal roller, the ends of which bear upon a slotted slide, which moves back and forth by means of .two spiral springs which press the roller outward` against the slides of the engine, while they yield to the' pressure of the slides, and allow the roller -to fall back within the cup until it is flush with the friction-plate, thus revolving 'under any circumstances in its passage up and down the slides. Fastened by hooks. to the bottom of the cup, and carried' over a wire at the top, is a piece of wick, the free end of which hangs against the back of the roller. This wick conveysthe oil' from the cup to the roller,- which in turn conveys'it to the slide, while any spare oilthat may be gathered by the gib in theupward stroke runs down to the roller, and by.

this means lis use d over` and over again instead of being scattered all around.r

To enable others to understand the nature and construction of myinvention, I will proceed to` describe it with reference to the drawings.

This gib is divided into two separate sections, marked respectively A and B, as shown in fig. 2. A is the gib, which is made of malleable ironor any suitable metal, while the friction-plate B is made of brass. The said sections A andv B are joined together and heldin their place by four slots and slides,.and screws on each side, as shown at a a. 'B, in iig. 1, shows a front' view of the friction-plate` of' the gib, with the lubricating-roller d as it bears upon the slide of the engine through the opening left in the friction-plate for that purpose. C, in iig. 3,-is a side view of the oil-cup or head of gib A, with its slot f and slide c, which likewise forms the bearing for the journal ofthe lubricating-roller d. The slot is made a little longer than the-slide, so as to permit of the lattcrs working back and forth, as the gib bears o" or on the slide of the engine, while the sections of the friction@ i plate, marked thus, k in gs. 1 and 3, serve to keep the roller d in its proper position in front of the friction-plate. D, in hg. 2, shows an open section of the cileeup, with the internal mechanism of the self-oiling device. D is a hollow box cast in the gib A. C is an internal view of one of the slides, which works back and forth in the slotf, as shown in iig. 3, and forms the bearings for the journal of the roller d, as already specied. The-dotted lines in c show the groove which works in the slotj', while the lapped edges prevent the slides from falling outward, while both slides are held in position by a connecting wire, which extends from the one to the other, thus fixing them securely. in their position. g shows one of the spiral springs which are attached to the back of the'slidec, and bears against the back of the hollow space or cup D. These springs constantly press the roller d out toward the slide of the engine, while they yield suilivcient to allow the outer edge of the roller to be pressed back till'such times as it is iiush with the outer edge of the friction-plate B, thus causing the roller to revolve, whether the engine-slide presses close on the gib or otherwise. b b b is a piece ofiiat wick, which is fastened to the bottom of the oil-cup byhooks or any suitable device. It then passes overa wire on the top of thecup while the free end of the wick hangs down against the r'oller d. The oil is then put in from the top of the cup, and is conveyed by the wick'to the roller, which revolves .against it. The roller in turn conveys the oil to the slides of the engine in just such quantity as is required to lessen the friction without any undue waste, while the oil which gathers on to thehead of the gib, in its upward stroke, filters down to the roller, and by this means ismude to do service until it is all exhausted.

The only alteration required to make this invention serviceable for horizontal engines is to partition oil the space marked 1, 2, and 3, in the open section ofthe cup D, in iig. 2, as a reservoir for the oil. A self-oiler on this principle may be made independent ofthe gib, and attached to the jaws of the. cross-head.

What claim 'as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isy 1. A gib, constructed in two parts, as shown by A B, and fastened, as seen at a a, or their' equivalents, substantially as herein set forth.

4 2. The self-oiling device, as shown in D andC, with the roller d and slotfnnd slides c, the spring g, in connection with the wick b b 6,. or their equivalents, substantially as `and for the purpose herein set forth.

WM. A. DEVON.

Witnesses: l SOLOMON DE WALLTEAnss, PETER V. Bunrssrr. 

